Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

At 3 p.m., an email announcing a personnel appointment began circulating in the internal group of Xingchen Consulting Company.

"Notification Regarding the Appointment of Comrade Qin Hao as Head of Consulting Department Three"—the email title was concise and to the point, and the content was even more official, devoid of any unnecessary embellishment. But this email, less than two hundred words long, stirred up ripples within the company like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Some people were envious: "He was promoted to supervisor in just two years. Graduates from 985 universities are really different."

Some people were envious: "So what if he got lucky and bumped into a big client? What's so great about that?"

One person commented sourly, "A five million order, the commission must be at least two hundred thousand, right? He'll be rich right now."

Others mocked, "Just wait and see, being a supervisor isn't easy. The pressure to meet performance targets is immense. Don't let yourself get fired later."

Various gazes poured in from all directions—some congratulating, some fawning, and others waiting to see him make a fool of himself. As Qin Hao passed through the break room, he could feel those gazes sweeping over him like searchlights. He kept his eyes straight ahead, made himself a cup of coffee, and returned to his office.

director?

Qin Hao twitched the corner of his mouth.

It sounds prestigious, but in reality, it's just a low-level management position, a trivial one. To put it bluntly, it means having to meet more performance targets, attend more meetings, and write more reports than a regular analyst. Real decision-making power? Absolutely none. Above him are department managers, then directors, and then partners and vice presidents. This supervisor is just a slightly larger cog in the machine.

The only good news is that wages have increased.

My salary was increased from 12,000 to 20,000, and with various subsidies, it still came to less than 300,000 a year. With such a fixed salary, who knows when I'd ever save up my first pot of gold.

What truly appealed to him was the project dividend of 200,000 yuan.

That's the good thing about consulting firms; they rely on performance. The commissions and bonuses after completing a project are quite generous. For example, with Junxin's five million deal, as the project manager, he could get a 4% bonus, which works out to 200,000 yuan.

However, the 200,000 yuan wasn't paid out in one lump sum. According to company policy, it would be distributed over six months after the client made their payment. This was partly to prevent employees from taking the project less seriously after receiving the bonus, and partly to prevent employees from quitting immediately after receiving a large sum.

However, there's nothing that can be done about it; it's industry practice. It's a bit slow, but fortunately, they usually don't delay payments, since companies are afraid of discouraging employees.

It's 5:30 in the afternoon in the blink of an eye, time to get ready to leave work.

That evening, Director Lü booked a private room, saying it was to celebrate his team securing a big deal. But Qin Hao knew in his heart that this dinner, ostensibly a celebration, was actually a way for Director Lü to use their team's entertainment budget to treat General Manager Liang to a meal.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the restaurant at 6:30, General Manager Liang was already in the private room with his assistant. Director Lü greeted him with a beaming smile, offering cigarettes and pouring tea, as attentive as if he were seeing his own father.

Qin Hao and Yao Xiaohui sat at the lower end of the table, watching Director Lü perform.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Director Lü frequently toasted General Manager Liang, addressing him affectionately as "General Manager Liang." However, General Manager Liang clearly wasn't interested in him, merely responding perfunctorily. Instead, he would occasionally turn to Qin Hao and discuss the details of the proposal.

"Xiao Qin, everyone in our marketing department says your 'Love only one person in a lifetime' slogan is great." General Manager Liang put down his wine glass and looked at Qin Hao seriously: "But do you have any ideas on how to implement it?"

Qin Hao put down his chopsticks and said slowly, "My idea is to start with the sales side. All sales staff in all stores need to be retrained, their sales scripts need to be standardized, and the value of the 'one-time purchase for life' concept needs to be emphasized. Secondly, from the brand side, advertising should align with this positioning, and we can do some emotional marketing, such as collecting stories from long-term customers..."

Mr. Liang nodded repeatedly, occasionally interjecting with a question. Director Lü, unable to get a word in edgewise, could only keep pouring Mr. Liang drinks.

Yao Xiaohui sat in the corner, silently eating her food, watching Qin Hao and President Liang talk animatedly, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

He and Qin Hao were college classmates, spent four years together, and joined Xingchen together. For the past two years, he believed his work was no worse than Qin Hao's, and sometimes he even felt he was more hardworking and dedicated. But whenever something good happened, it always ended up going to Qin Hao.

It's the same this time.

He had to admit that the proposal Qin Hao presented today was indeed brilliant. If it were him, he would never have come up with a concept like "loving only one person for life." But... but that feeling was still unpleasant.

Just like back in college, every time the exam results came out, he was always second, and Qin Hao was first. That feeling of "just a little bit short" was more painful than losing to many others outright.

"Xiao Yao?" His colleague's voice pulled him out of his reverie: "What are you daydreaming about? Let's have a drink."

Yao Xiaohui snapped out of her daze and forced a smile: "Drink, drink."

At 9:30, the dinner was drawing to a close. Director Lü gestured for Yao Xiaohui to pay the bill, then stood up and attentively helped General Manager Liang with his coat.

“Mr. Liang, it’s still early tonight. How about we go somewhere else to sit?” He said with a smile, “I know a newly opened bar with a very nice atmosphere.”

General Manager Liang gave him a half-smile: "Director Lü, you're very thoughtful."

"Of course, of course." Director Lü nodded repeatedly: "It's a rare opportunity for President Liang to come all this way, he must have a great time."

The group left the restaurant. Director Lü pulled Qin Hao and General Manager Liang into a taxi, closed the door, and drove off.

Yao Xiaohui stood at the restaurant entrance, staring blankly as the taxi's taillights disappeared into the night.

A hand patted him on the shoulder.

"Stop watching." His colleague, standing next to him, chuckled self-deprecatingly, "The boss and the others have gone to the next round; we won't get a turn."

Yao Xiaohui shook his head, seemingly still not quite understanding: "There's a next round?"

"You just found out?" The colleague lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Otherwise, how do you think the company spends millions on entertainment expenses every year? How much can they afford just by eating?"

He exhaled a smoke ring, watching the taxi disappear in the direction it had gone, his tone carrying an indescribable feeling: "What a pity, lowly fry like us don't even have the qualifications to serve. The boss is barely qualified now, and maybe you'll have a chance when he gets promoted to director. As for me... I won't even dream about it."

Yao Xiaohui clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

A few seconds later, it slowly loosened again.

“Let’s go,” he said. “I still have to write the weekly report when we get back.”

His colleague glanced at him, said nothing, threw his cigarette butt into the trash can, and followed him.

Meanwhile, the taxi had already driven onto Huanshi Road.

The neon lights outside the car window flashed continuously, their colorful halos swirling in the night.

The car stopped in front of a building.

The deafening music seemed poised to burst through the building's walls at any moment. Several security guards in black suits stood at the entrance, while men and women entering and exiting were impeccably dressed, the air thick with the scent of perfume and alcohol.

Director Lü led the way with practiced ease, through the corridor, and into the bar.

In the dim light, the place was packed with people. In the center of the dance floor, young bodies swayed to the music, freely unleashing their excess energy. Some were completely absorbed in it, swaying with their eyes closed; some used it to forget their pain and troubles, their faces showing a numb indulgence; and others were diligently doing their jobs, carrying trays of drinks as they moved through the crowd.

Director Lü leaned close to President Liang's ear and shouted, "President Liang, I could tell you didn't drink much just now. You must have felt the atmosphere at the dinner wasn't quite right! How's it here? Are you satisfied?"

Mr. Liang looked around and gave a knowing smile: "Whether you're satisfied or not depends on how the girls here are."

Director Lü smiled knowingly: "Don't worry, I can't say anything else, but the quality of the girls here is top-tier in Guangzhou."

President Liang smiled without saying a word, and patted Qin Hao on the shoulder: "Little Qin, come out and relax. Tonight, let's only talk about romance, not work."

Qin Hao casually replied, "As long as you don't bring it up first, Mr. Liang, I definitely won't. It's after get off work hours now, and I have no intention of working overtime in a bar."

"Haha—" President Liang laughed loudly and patted him hard on the back: "Interesting, Xiao Qin, I'm liking you more and more!"

The three exchanged smiles and followed the bartender to a booth. Director Lü was clearly a regular, handling everything with ease. The drinks arrived quickly, and several scantily clad women were seated next to the three at the bartender's arrangement.

A voluptuous woman hooked her arm around Qin Hao's, nuzzled him, and asked sweetly, "Handsome, is this your first time in a place like this?"

Qin Hao unceremoniously put his arm around her waist, a half-smile on his face: "What do you think?"

The woman smiled and said, "Definitely not, you can tell she's an expert."

Qin Hao remained noncommittal: "Whatever you think is true."

He chatted with the woman while looking around the bar. Director Lü and President Liang were already with their arms around each other, drinking toasts with the women beside them, completely ignoring him.

Qin Hao's gaze swept aimlessly across the dance floor, the bar, and the booth area.

Then, it stopped in front of two familiar figures.

They were the two girls I'd met at the breakfast stall that morning. They were wearing Gusteau's uniform—a black skirt, a white shirt, and a silk scarf tied at the collar. They were carrying trays of drinks and weaving through the crowd.

So this is the kind of place they meant by "promotion".

Liang Danning nudged Zhao Mei beside her with her elbow and gestured towards Qin Hao with her chin: "Look there."

Zhao Mei followed her gaze and was slightly taken aback: "It's him?"

"See?" Liang Danning curled her lip. "They put on a show during the day, but their true colors are revealed as soon as they get here. Now you've given up completely, haven't you?"

Zhao Mei rolled her eyes: "I already said I just wanted to make more connections, I didn't plan to pursue him."

She switched the wine tray to her other hand and said seriously, "And it turns out I was right. Look, he's become a potential customer of mine now, isn't he?"

Liang Danning scoffed: "His income? It's probably about the same as ours. If he really earned more, he wouldn't be living in an urban village like us."

Zhao Mei gave her a "follow along" look: "Trying won't hurt you. Don't forget we're still far behind each other in sales this month."

Liang Danning hesitated for a moment, but gritted her teeth and followed.

Weaving through the bustling crowd, Zhao Mei led Liang Danning to a booth.

"Excuse me for bothering you three handsome gentlemen." Zhao Mei smiled professionally and raised the bottle of wine in her hand. "May I buy you a drink? This is our premium Gösta's, imported directly from France, with a particularly rich and smooth taste—"

Before she could finish her introduction, General Manager Liang and Director Lü exchanged a glance and laughed.

Mr. Liang patted the seat next to him: "You two ladies are still working so late, you're really dedicated. Come on, sit down and talk, it's tiring to stand."

As he spoke, he reached out to pull Zhao Mei.

Director Lü smiled and reached out to pull Liang Danning.

Liang Danning was startled and instinctively took a half step back. Just then, a hand reached out from the side and pulled her back.

Liang Danning almost cried out, but when she turned around, she saw Qin Hao.

Qin Hao winked at her and then pulled Zhao Mei to sit down next to him.

Director Lü's hand missed its target, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He glanced at Qin Hao, a forced smile on his face, and said, "Little Qin, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Tonight, President Liang is the star of the show."

Mr. Liang wasn't angry. He spread his hands and said half-jokingly, "It's normal for a handsome guy like Xiao Qin to be popular with girls. It's just that we're not as young or handsome as her."

Qin Hao smiled and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Mr. Liang is too kind. Girls' tastes have changed a lot these days. They like successful older men like Mr. Liang the most."

He turned to look at the two girls accompanying General Manager Liang and Director Lü, and asked, "Are you right?"

The two girls, being quite perceptive, immediately began to coax each other sweetly, saying, "Yes, yes, I like older men."

"Mature, stable, and provides a sense of security."

Instantly, the slightly awkward atmosphere became lively again. Mr. Liang laughed heartily, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.

Liang Danning breathed a sigh of relief and was about to get up and leave when Qin Hao stopped her.

"If you leave now, do you still want to achieve your sales targets?" he said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mei gave Liang Danning a look. Liang Danning bit her lip and sat back down.

Zhao Mei poured a glass of wine and presented it to President Liang with both hands. After what had just happened, she had figured out that President Liang was the highest-ranking person in this booth and was probably the client.

“This handsome gentleman,” she smiled sweetly, “our Gusteau’s brandy perfectly suits the temperament of a successful person like you. Look, this brandy is from the Cognac region of France and has been aged for over twenty years…”

Mr. Liang took the glass but didn't drink it. He looked Zhao Mei up and down with interest and said slowly, "Beautiful lady, your wine costs several thousand yuan a bottle, and you just ask us to pay for it. If making money is that easy, I'll go sell wine too."

He turned to look at Director Lü: "You agree, right?"

Director Lü immediately clapped his hands in agreement: "That's right! If a beautiful lady wants people to pay the bill, she has to show some sincerity, right?"

Liang Danning's expression changed, and she was about to pull Zhao Mei away when she saw Zhao Mei grit her teeth and ask, "How can I tell if someone is sincere?"

Mr. Liang beckoned to the bartender: "Bring ten glasses."

The bartender quickly brought ten glasses and arranged them in a row on the table. Mr. Liang picked up the bottle of foreign liquor on the table and slowly poured ten full glasses.

The amber-colored liquor shimmered in the dim light, and the aroma of alcohol wafted through the air.

"Drink these ten glasses of wine," Mr. Liang said with a smile, leaning back on the sofa. "Then I'll buy your wine."

Seeing this, the girls nearby immediately started to cheer.

Wow—ten cups!

"Go, beautiful lady!"

"Drink, drink, drink!"

Liang Danning's face turned deathly pale, and she could no longer hold back. She stood up and tried to pull Zhao Mei away.

"Zhao Mei, let's go, we're not selling!"

Zhao Mei took a deep breath, shook off her hand, picked up a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

Then came the second cup, and the third cup.

The strong liquor made her eyes well up with tears, but she gritted her teeth and kept drinking it down, one glass after another.

As soon as she finished her fourth glass, Liang Danning couldn't care less about anything else. She picked up a glass of wine, tilted her head back, and gulped it down.

Qin Hao sat to the side, watching quietly, without interfering.

As Mr. Liang said, if you're going to expect someone to buy a bottle of wine that costs several thousand yuan without offering anything in return, you have to pay a price. At the very least, you have to provide some emotional value. That's the rule of the game.

The fifth cup, the sixth cup, the seventh cup.

The two girls took turns drinking, and the cheers from the surrounding crowd grew louder and louder. Zhao Mei's hands began to tremble, and some of the wine spilled, dripping down her chin onto her clothes.

The eighth cup, the ninth cup, the tenth cup.

The last glass was drunk by Liang Danning. She put the empty glass on the table and swayed unsteadily. If Qin Hao hadn't caught her in time, she would have almost fallen to the ground.

Zhao Mei wasn't in much better shape; her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused, and she could barely stand, leaning on the table for support. But she still mustered her strength, using the last vestiges of her clarity to say to President Liang, "Handsome uncle, you...you're not the kind of person who goes back on their word, are you?"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, General Manager Liang waved his hand and said readily, "Good drinking capacity! Open the wine, two bottles!"

The girls in the booths all perked up. They get a commission for opening bottles of expensive liquor; two bottles of high-end imported wine can earn them at least several hundred yuan in commission.

"The boss is so generous!"

"The boss is so handsome!"

The girls started cheering, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Zhao Mei breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask Liang Danning to get the wine when she discovered that Liang Danning was completely exhausted—she was limp and collapsed on the ground if Qin Hao hadn't been supporting her.

"Go get the bar," Qin Hao said to Zhao Mei. "She'll give it to me."

Zhao Mei hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone: "Let's add each other on WeChat."

Qin Hao chuckled: "What? Afraid I'll kidnap her?"

Zhao Mei didn't speak, but her attitude was very firm. Qin Hao smiled and shook his head, then took out his phone and added her as a WeChat friend.

"Look after her for me." Before leaving, Zhao Mei added, "Don't take advantage of her, or I'll make you regret it!"

Qin Hao spread his hands and said helplessly, "It seems like she's the one taking advantage of me now, isn't it?"

Zhao Mei was speechless for a moment.

Liang Danning was clinging to Qin Hao like a koala, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder—a rather unseemly posture. If Qin Hao hadn't covered her knees with his suit jacket, she probably would have been completely exposed by now.

Zhao Mei glared at him, then turned to get the wine.

After she left, President Liang winked at Qin Hao and said with a suggestive smile, "Little Qin, if you manage to win the heart of a beauty tonight, shouldn't you thank me?"

Qin Hao smiled and said casually, "President Liang, the pleasures of love between men and women only come when both people cooperate. Otherwise, it's like a dead fish—what's the fun in that?"

Mr. Liang was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "That makes sense! That makes sense!"

He hugged the girl next to him tightly and kissed her on the cheek: "Little Qin really knows how to have fun and has a romantic side. I'm just a rough guy, I only know how to be straightforward."

As they were talking, Zhao Mei had already brought over the wine. She carefully placed the two bottles on the table, then took Liang Danning from Qin Hao's arms.

After being disturbed like this, Liang Danning opened her eyes groggily, saw Zhao Mei, mumbled something indistinctly, and then closed her eyes again and fell asleep.

"Thank you." Zhao Mei nodded to Qin Hao and helped Liang Danning prepare to leave.

At 1 a.m., Mr. Liang and Director Lü had almost had their fill of fun. Each of them, with a woman beside them, left the bar chatting and laughing, saying they were going to "the next round."

Qin Hao politely declined the suggestive glances from the girl beside him and walked out of the bar alone.

A night breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill. He stood at the door, about to hail a taxi to go home, when a voice came from behind him.

"Handsome guy."

He turned around and saw Zhao Mei. She was supporting the drunk Liang Danning, standing under the lights at the bar entrance, her face pleading.

"Could you please take her back for me?"

Qin Hao crossed his arms and said with a half-smile, "What? Aren't you afraid I'll do something to her?"

Zhao Mei clasped her hands together and said pitifully, "Handsome, I know you're a good person. You know how bars are, I really can't leave her alone. I have to go back to selling alcohol, and if the boss comes to inspect the place and doesn't see her, we'll be fired. It's so hard for people like us with little education to find a job these days, please."

Qin Hao glanced at her, then at the completely drunk Liang Danning, sighed, and reached out to take Liang Danning from him.

Liang Danning then clung to him again, muttering something under her breath.

"Such a poor alcohol tolerance, yet you still try to show off." Qin Hao shook his head.

Zhao Mei touched Liang Danning's forehead tenderly and said softly, "If she hadn't been so reckless, I would be the one passed out drunk right now."

Qin Hao nodded to himself. Liang Danning's sense of brotherhood and loyalty was indeed rare.

Zhao Mei took a key out of her pocket and handed it to Qin Hao: "Handsome, this is the key to our rented apartment. Thank you for your help. I'll treat you to rice noodle rolls another day."

Qin Hao took the keys and said irritably, "You think you can just get rid of me with a bowl of rice noodle rolls? You really know how to save money."

Zhao Mei said pitifully, "There's nothing we can do. We sales promoters only get that little salary a month. After paying rent and utilities, there's hardly anything left. Unlike you managers, who earn so much."

As she spoke, she backed away, saying, "Please! I have to go back to selling alcohol, so I'm leaving Liang Danning in your care, handsome!"

After saying that, she turned and ran, stumbling and disappearing into the shadows at the bar entrance.

Qin Hao watched her retreating figure and shook his head.

He looked down at Liang Danning hanging on him, then at the keys in his hand, and hailed a taxi.

“To Baishizhou,” he told the driver.

The car started and drove into the streets late at night. The neon lights outside the window receded, their iridescent colors casting shadows on Liang Danning's face. She leaned on Qin Hao's shoulder, breathing evenly, fast asleep. (End of Chapter)